In the 1960s, Wits was the first University to host an IBM mainframe computer in Africa. Today, Wits is the first African partner on the IBM Q Network enabling academics across Africa to enter the quantum computing universe and make advances in the emerging field of Data Science.
Researchers at Wits will investigate the use of quantum computing and machine learning in the fields of cosmology and molecular biology with a specific focus on HIV drug discovery. The teams will also jointly study quantum teleportation, a field pioneered by IBM Fellow Charles Bennett.
The Wits MSc in Data Science endeavours to empower postgraduate students with the requisite skills to be successful in industry, government and academia.
The Masters in Data Science at Wits includes the following courses:
Students may also select from these optional courses, if available:
The Wits Institute of Data Science (WIDS) is a leading interdisciplinary research and training institute with a focus on innovation in data science and machine intelligence. The mission of the University of the Witwatersrand is to grow its global stature as a leading research-intensive university and a gateway to research engagement and intellectual achievement in Africa. WIDS will support this mission by fostering intellectual excellence, international competitiveness and local relevance.
To find out more about our Wits’ researchers’ activities you can read Curiosity magazine which focuses on the interaction of human beings and technologies, showcasing of Wits’ ground-breaking research through the voices of talented researchers, students and academics, as well as https://www.wits.ac.za/future/.
The National e-Science Postgraduate Teaching and Training Platform (NEPTTP) is multi-institutional programme that is growing qualifications, curricula and pedagogic interventions to advance the training of postgraduate students in the rapidly developing cross-disciplinary fields involved in e-Science.
The implementation of the NEPTTP project is championed by a Consortium of six South African universities: North West University (NWU), Sol Plaatje University (SPU), University of Limpopo (UL), University of Pretoria (UP), University of Venda (UniVen), and Wits University (as the Lead Institution).
